{"id":6411,"date":"2014-10-31T11:36:47","date_gmt":"2014-10-31T11:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/prayergardens\/?p=6411"},"modified":"2015-05-22T12:04:49","modified_gmt":"2015-05-22T12:04:49","slug":"the-mighty-oak-quercus-spp-a-garden-catechism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/prayergardens\/2014\/10\/the-mighty-oak-quercus-spp-a-garden-catechism\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mighty Oak (Quercus spp.), A Garden Catechism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"lindas<\/a>
Image by Margaret Rose Realy, Obl OSB, All rights reserved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The oak is a long lived tree, often exceeding 500 years. With a trunk and limbs that are thick and sturdy, it\u2019s rarely damaged by storms\u2014the leaves are marcescent in the north, not dropping until spring, and hold snow loads of impressive weights! Wind shears have been known to strip the tree bare, leaving the branches intact. About the only feat of nature to regularly damage an oak is lightning\u2014of all the tree species struck by lightening, the oak is most frequently hit.<\/p>\n

Because of its endurance this tree came to symbolize the profound and\u00a0unyielding strength and steadfastness of Christians\u2019 faith in the face of adversity. St. Sebastian is depicted as being lashed to an oak.<\/p>\n

\"San_Sebastian_El_Greco\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(San Sebastian, El Greco, image public domain)<\/p>\n

With its nearly incorruptible wood it came to connote salvation, and is symbolic of physical and moral vigor. And this explains its association to the Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n

\"Madonna<\/a>(The Holy Family\u00a0of the Oak Tree, Raphael Sanzio, image public domain)<\/p>\n

According to legend, the Christianization of heathen druidic tribes in Germany by Saint Boniface was marked by his felling of an oak, where upon a fir tree immediately grew and whose triangular shape symbolizes the Trinity\u2014more on the fir in another column.<\/p>\n

In the Bible, Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD (Gen 13:18). Later we read that Joshua erects a large stone under an oak tree as the first covenant of the Lord (Josh. 24:26). In Isaiah 61, the prophet refers to the Israelites as \u201cOaks of Righteousness\u201d.<\/p>\n

And now you know that an image of a saint with an oak alludes to the saint\u2019s firm incorruptible faith.<\/p>\n

\"'St__Paul_the_Hermit_Fed_by_the_Raven',_after_Il_Guercino,_Dayton_Art_Institute\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0(St. Paul the Hermit fed by\u00a0the Raven, II Guercino, image public domain.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plant symbolism is prominent in religious art. Margaret Rose Realy, Obl OSB offers a small study on the catechism of plants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1932,"featured_media":6423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[734],"tags":[736,743,744,745],"class_list":["post-6411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-garden-catechism","tag-christian-art","tag-oak-tree","tag-quercus","tag-symbolism-of-oak"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Mighty Oak (Quercus spp.), A Garden Catechism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Plant symbolism is prominent in religious art. 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